White matter fiber bundle lengths are shorter in cART naive HIV: an analysis of quantitative diffusion tractography in South Africa.

ABSTRACT: This study examines white matter microstructure using quantitative tractography diffusion magnetic resonance imaging (qtdMRI) in HIV+ individuals from South Africa who were naïve or early in the initiation of antiretroviral therapy. Fiber bundle length (FBL) metrics, generated from qtdMRI, for whole brain and six white matter tracts of interest (TOI) were assessed for 135 HIV+ and 21 HIV- individuals. The association between FBL metrics, measures of disease burden, and neuropsychological performance were also investigated. Results indicate significantly reduced sum of whole brain fiber bundle lengths (FBL, p < 0.001), but not average whole brain FBL in the HIV+ group compared to the HIV- controls. The HIV+ group exhibited significantly shorter sum of FBL in all six TOIs examined: the anter

SUBMITTER: Heaps-Woodruff JM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5936682 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature